Machinery for producing glass sheets or plates



5 Shejecs-Sheet lA A; L. FORSTER MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING GLASS SHEETS OR PLATES Filed Dec. l1

March 4 1924.

March 4, 1924. M8559@ A. L.. FORSTER v MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING GLASS SHEETS OR PLATES Filed Deo. l1 5922 5 SheecsSheet 2 March 4 1924.

A. L. FORSTER MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING GLASS SHEETS 'OR PLATES Filed Dec.

ll )922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'March 4 1924.

A. L.. FQRSTER MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING GLASS SHEETS OR PLATES 5 Shets-Sheet 4 mled Dec. 11 1922 March 4 ,1924. 1,485,560

A. l.. FoRsvTER MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING GLASS SHEETS OR PLATES Filed Dec. ll 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig AL LINDSAY FORSTER, OF SMIFJTHWICK-v ENGLAND, ASSGNOR F ONE-HALF CHANCE BROTHRS AND CO., LIMITED, OF SMETHWICK, -ENGLND.

MACHINERY FOB IRDUCING GLASS SHEETS 0R PLATES,

Application tiled December 11. 1922. SerialNo. 606,255.

To all 'whom'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED LINDSAY Fons'rnu, a Brit-ish subject, residing at Glass Works, Smethwick,'in the county of Stafford, England, have invented certain new and useful Im rovernents Relatin to Machinery for roducin Glass eets or Plates, of which the fo lowing is a speciie cation.

This invention has for its object to provide improved Vmachinery whereby a number of separate glass sheets or plates can be produced in succession from a quantity of molten glass.

The invention comprises the combination Witlia rolling or other sheet forming machine, of a device for cutting the glass into sheets or plates, the said device whilst in action being caused to move withv the glass.

The invention also comprises the employment for cutting/the glass transversely, of rotary cutting tools, and a holder for the tools to which a movement is imparted in the same direction as the glass during;r the cutting operation.

Further, the invention comprises the imparting to the carrier or table which receives the severed sheets or plates, of intermittent accelera-ted movements whereby the sheets or plates are separated after the cut! ting operations. v

ln the tive accompanying sheets of. ex-

pianatory drawings Figure l isa front elevation, Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 3 a longitudinal section' showing the application of my invention to a Iglass rolling machine.

Figure 4 is a plan illustrating an arrangement of stops on the bar carrying the cutting tools.

Figure 5 is a section of the same .mem-- ber on the line 5-5 (Figure i) the adJacen'tY ortion of one of the rolls being;r also shown in this view.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, Figure 7 an end elevation, and Figure 8 a plan of the table operating mechanism.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of a portion ot' a clutch controlling device.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a ratchet and pawl device, and Figure 11 a side elevation of an epicyclic gear forming part of ,the operating mechanism.

The rolling machine comprises a pair of rolls a, b on to the upper side of which can yfected automatically at be discharged from a ot or ladle a quantity .of molten glass as c. ilhe sheet produced by the' action oi. the rolls passes down a pair of guide plates d between which is arranged a guide roller e. From the lower plate Z the glass. asses on to a horizontally movable table f W ich may be carried by rollers on rails g and is actuated by a pmion L engagin I a rack z' secured to the underside of the ta le. v

Severing of the sheet produced by the rolls into plates of the required length is e'i'ected by circular rotatable cutting tools y'. Four of Such tools are employed in the machineA illustrated. A pair of tools are carried on the ends of each of a pair of bars it pivoted to the ends of a lever Z which is controlled by a springr m. The parts and Z are carried on a cross 'bar n constructed from a pair of side members as shown, the tools bars 7; and lever l being mounted bctween' the members oi the bar n. At positions near each end the bar n is formed at `its upper side with projecting portions a having;r inclined ends y), and adjacent to such portions the underside of an intermediate piece q is shaped to form a recess with inclined ends 1'. The bar is carried by oscillatory frames s on the end frames t of the machine, rollers u being arranged on the frames s to coactV with the upper edges of the bar and a roller fv to coact with the underside of theV bar for the purpose hiereinafter described. Endwise movement is given to the bar by the action of any suitable means such as compressed air or other fluid pressure on a'piston in a cylinder fw carried on one of the frames s, motion being imparted to the bar through a rod and link y. Actuation of a valve controlling the admission of Huid to the cylinder is efproper intervals in anv convenient manner.

e cuttimcr tools are arranged to operate in conjuncton with the guide roller e. The frames s oscillate about the axis of said roller. In lthe ositon shown the tools are clear of the rol er. During the cutting op: eration two motions of the bar n are' required, the. one in a downward direction relatively to the frames s to bring' the tools into contact with the glass, and the other the tools into action.

tion. The downward movement of the bar is effected during the endvvise movement by the interaction of the rollers u, v and the inclined portions p, T. The angular movement of the frames .9 in the forward direction is effected by the pressure of abutment.

pieces 2 on the roller e against the rear side ofthe bar n as shown in Figure 5. To prevent the tools from coming into Contact with the glass until the abutment pieces 2 are in contact with the bar, a pair of stops 3 are provided on the rear of the bar and these are arranged to coact with lugs 4C on the 'end frames of the machine.

Referring to Figure 4, the first movement of the bar to perform one cutting op' eration will be from right to left. During the initial part of this movement Ythe right hand' stop 3 Will come into contact with the adjacent lug/1, and the bar will be heldA until the abutment pieces 2 come into action on the bar. As soon as these reach the bar they carry it forward until the said stop 3 is moved clear of the lug 4. The bar can then continue its endwise movement and also drop to the extent required to bring W'hile the tools lare producing a transverse incision in the glass and thereby separating the forward portion from that emerging from the rolls, the tools are also moving with the glass. At the end of the cutting operation the left hand stop 3 is on the side of the left hand lug 4 opposite to that shown in Figure 4. Also the bar has .been raised clear of the glass by the interaction of the rollers u, o and parts 7), r. The abutment pieces 2 then leave the.

` gravity or under the action .of a weight 34.

In the event of the bar n not completing its endwise motion and rising clear of the abutments 2, disconnection of the bar from the abutments is effected by thev provisionon each end frame of the machine of a roller 5 which co-operates with a cam 6 at the lower end of the'moving frame s, the cam and roller lserving to lift the .frame ,8, and so (-arry the bar clear of the abutments. rThe next cutting operation on the succeeding glass sheet is effected by a movement of the bar n from left to right, when the above described operations are repeated.

mmediately after each cutting operation it is advantageous, to separate the severed sheet or plate by a suitable amount from the succeeding portion of Vthe sheet emerging from the rolls. rThis is effected in accord ance with this invention by imparting an accelerated motion to the table f at the end of each cutting operation. The roll and table flriving mechanism is illustrated in detail by -Figures 6-11. Motion is imparted to a shaft 8 by a belt on a pulley 9, or in any other convenient` manner. The shaft 8 rotates at a uniform rate and motion is taken from it to the rolls through gear wheels 10. Coaxially with the shaft 8 is arranged another shaft 1l carrying the above mentioned table driving pinion L. On one end of the shaft 8 is secured a sun pinion 12 engaging planet pinions 13 mounted on a carrier 14 secured to the adjacent end of the shaft 11. Thev pinions 13 also engage with an independently rotatable internally toothed annulus 15 which can be rotated in one direction by a reciprocating rack 1G, freely lrotatable wheell 17, pawl 18 on 'the wheel 17, and

' ratchet 19 on the case 20 ofthe annulus 15. Reverse rotation of the annulus is prevented by a pawl 2l. Reciprocation of the rack is effected by a crank 22 and rod 23, the crank receiving' its motion intermittently from the shaft 8 through sprockets 24 and chain 25. )n the shaft 26 of the crank 22 is arranged a clutch 27 which is actuated by a lever 2S and rod 29, spring 30, lever 31, rod 32, and levers 33. In the position shown theclutch isin operation the bar n strikes the upper end of one of the levers 33 and through the rod 32 causes said lever to withdraw the lever 31 from the restraining action of the crank 22 and allows the clutch to be reconnected by the action of the spring 30. During the first half rotation of the crank the rack 16 imparts motion to the annulus 15 and causes an accelerated movement to be given to the table for effecting the required separation of the severed sheet or plate. During the second half revolution the c-rank'returns the rack to its initial position and is arrested by 'the lever 31 as above .described for discon- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is':

l. In glass plate forming machines, the combination comprising cutting tools for severing the formed glass into plates, a tool. carrying bar movable vin an endwise direc- LIU lll)

essence f n;

1` bar carrying the tools angularly movable support: for the bar permitting a rising and falling as well as an endwise movement ot the bar, means for imparting endwise move ment to the bar, and rotary abutment pieces for 'imparting angular movements to the bar supports, substantially as described.

3.` In glass plate forming machines, the combinationcomprising a guide roll, rotary cutting tools situated over the guide roll, a bar carrying the cutting tools, angularly movable supports carrying the bar, the said 'supports being adapted to permit `endivise movement of the bar, coactinp,r means on the bar and its supports whereby an endwise movement of the bar is accompanied by alling and rising movements of the bar, means on one of the bar supports for producing endwise movements of Athe bar. 'abutments on tiie guide roll for imparting angular movement in one direction to thebar and its supports, and interacting stationary lugs on the machine and stops on the bar Jfor preventing operation of the cutting tools on the glass until after the commencement ot the forward angular movement ot the bar supports, substantially as described.

4. ln glass plate forming machines, the combination comprising a guide roll, rotary cutting tools situated over the vguide roll, a

bar carrying the cutting tools, angularly movable supports carrying the bar, the said supports beingr adapted to permit endvvise movement of the bar, coacting means on the bar and its supports whereby an endwise movement or' the bar is accompanied by falling and rising movements of the bar, means on one of the bar supports for producing endwise movements of the bar, abutments on the guide roll for imparting angular movement in one direction to the bar and its supports, interacting stationary lugs on the machine and stops on the bar for preventing operation ol' the cutting tools on the glass until after the commencement of the or- Ward angular movement of the bar supports, and means'acting on the bar supports for raising the same and disengaging the tool bar from the abutments on the guide roll in the event of failure of the means whereby the tools are normally raised clear of the rolled glass, substantially as described.

5. In a glass plate forming machine provided with a horizontally movable table on which the glass `plates are deposited, the combination comprising cutters movable relatively to and with the formed glass for severing it into plates, means for producing a uniform movement of the table, :md means for producing intermittent accelerated movements of the table after each. *cutting operation oryseparating the severed. portions of the g'lass, substantially as described.

6. n a glass plate forming machine provided with a horizontally movable table on which the glass plates are deposited, the combination comprising cutters movable relatively to and with the formed glass for severing it into plates, means consisting in part of epicyclic mechanism ltor imparting uniform movement to the table, and means acting on the epicyclic mechanism for produoing intermittent accelerated movements of the table after each cutting operation. 'tor separating the severed portions ot the zv J'lass, substantially as described.

7. ln a glass plate 'forming machine provided with a horizontally movable table en Which the glass plates are deposited, the combination comprising cutters for severing the formed glass into plates, a cutter carrying member movable relatively to and with the formed glass, epicyclicv driving mechanism for imparting uniform movement to the table, a reciprocatory rack, wheel and ratchet and pawl mechanism acting in con-` junction With an element ot' the epicyclic mechanism for producing intermittent aeeelerated movements of the table for separating the severed glass portions, a. crank 'tor reciprocating the rack, a clutch tor controlling the motion of the crank, ant'tgmeans actuated by the crank and by the `cutter carrying member for controlling the clutch, substantally as described.

In testimony whereof l havesigned my name to this specification.

ALFREB LllflDS/Y FORSTER. 

